Cinderfella
by PrettyShieldHunter
Summary: This is a one-shot of Thea and Roy in an AU setting where the two meet in a different way and Oliver isn't the Arrow. They are my favorite ship on the show and I felt that there weren't enough stories for this couple so I decided to write one. Please leave honest comments, but they can't be crude. Check out my other stories when you have a chance.


Today was just another day in the life of Thea Dearden Queen. She didn't wake up until ten o'clock in the morning and it was only because Raisa brought her breakfast in bed. After almost another hour in bed, she finally got up and was ready to start her day. In thirty minutes, she was down the stairs and almost out the door, only to be stopped by her older brother, Oliver.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, his arms crossed over his chest as he went full over-protective brother mode on her.

"To the mall." She retorted shortly, tired of always having to 'report' to him before she went anywhere or did anything.

"I don't think so. Mom and dad expect both of us to be at lunch today. It's a business lunch and dad's partners are bringing their families which means our family needs to be there."

She sighed, tired of having to attend parties, lunches, dinners and even brunches because her dad was schmoozing new clients. And a happy family means happy clients. Sometimes she wondered why they didn't have that printed on t-shirts for everyone so they never forgot dad's favorite motto.

"Fine, but I'm going to get myself some coffee first."

Before Oliver could respond or act, she was making her way out the door and towards her car, a nice present for her eighteenth birthday. Normally she didn't go to the Glades, but there was a coffee shop there that made the best Caramel Spiced Macchiato which Thea just couldn't resist. And seeing as she wasn't going to the mall, she had plenty time to waste and she figured it couldn't hurt anyone.

She pulled up to the parking lot of CRNI, where her brother's girlfriend, Laurel, worked because it was one of the safer parts of town and only a couple blocks from the coffee shop. Thea had no trouble walking the few blocks in her six inch heels, despite some people wondering how. She eventually came to the shop, but little did she know that the minute she walked through that door, everything would change. Walking into the coffee shop, she crashed into someone, causing their coffee to spill all over her.

"Shit."

Roy Harper grew up in the Glades, despite constantly moving from foster home to foster home, he somehow couldn't manage to escape that part of town. He knew that the older he got, the chances of him being adopted shrank and the chances of him turning to a life of crime grew; like everyone else there.

He looked dazedly at the mess he caused because he had been so focused on his phone that he didn't see the young girl entering the coffee shop. It wasn't until Roy looked up from the spill on the floor, which he was trying to clean up with the few napkins he had, that he saw who he had crashed into. At first he hadn't recognized her, but then he remembered her and her family from the news; the Queen family was always on TV for something big, whether it was donating a certain amount of money to one charity or acquiring another major partner to join their ever-growing business.

"I...I'm so sorry." He immediately began apologizing as he grabbed some more napkins to clean up the floor. Once it was suitable, he stood up straight, and looked at the girl in front of him, covered in his coffee. "I wasn't looking and I'm really sorry. I hadn't seen you there." He said as he looked at her shocked expression, trying to process everything that had just happened. Roy stood there for a moment, before remembering the napkins in his palm and sheepishly extended his hand, offering her the few napkins.

"Whatever." She muttered as she took the napkins and began dabbing at her coffee stained shirt. A couple moments later, as she was walking past him, Thea slipped on the spill because she had been so focused on cleaning her shirt. But before she hit the ground, something stopped that from happening and Thea had no idea what it was until she noticed the boy's arms around her. He had caught her moments before her butt hit the ground.

Roy was watching the girl as she tried to clean herself up and just as she began to walk away, he realized that the floor was still wet, but before he could warn her, she was already falling. The next part was a bit of a blur, but apparently he had caught her and now she was in his arms looking up at him. He got lost in her eyes for a minute, before remembering the position they were in and clearing his throat as he helped her stand. He immediately let go of her the moment he knew she was steady. "Sorry." He muttered one last time before walking out of the coffee shop, leaving a stunned and shocked Thea standing there.

By the time she got her head wrapped around everything, he was gone and her phone was ringing with a message from her brother, wondering where she was. She sighed and walked out of the building, not only without her coffee, but a wet shirt and a feeling in her stomach that she couldn't quite explain.

When she got home, Oliver was waiting for her by the door, ready to explode, but as she got out of her car wet and smelling like coffee, he forgot what he had been focusing on and became curious as to what happened. Except before he could open his mouth, Thea held up her hand and spoke in an irritated tone. "Don't."

Roy finally got back to his place, out of breath, having run away like a loser when he realized he had spilled coffee on Thea _Freaking_ Queen! He hadn't even noticed the woman that walked over to him with a worried and confused look; obviously concerned about what he was doing. Out of breath, Roy leaned against the door. It was his roommate and friend, Felicity.

When he turned eighteen, he was kicked out of the foster home he had been staying in. If it hadn't been for his friend, he would've had nowhere to go. She was a few years older than him and had her own place, which she gladly shared with him as long as he helped out, being through cleaning up or paying part of the rent. She wasn't an orphan like him. No, she had a mom and a dad, but her father left them when she was six years old; meaning that her mom had to work at a Las Vegas casino until they reached Starling City. Luckily Felicity's mother was able to get a better job there and provide a decent life for her daughter, but her job made her spend long hours at work and travel, leaving poor little Felicity Smoak to care for herself. That was how she met Roy. Her mom left her alone for a week at the age of eleven, which caused her to be temporarily placed in foster care until her mom showed up. She was kind of a loser with her bright clothes and thick-rimmed glasses, making her easy pickings for a bully, but the first time someone tried, a little eight year old boy with light brown hair, stepped in and defended her. From that moment on, Roy and Felicity were the best of friends. She ended up spending a whole nother week there before her mother arrived, but after she left, the two continued to stay in contact, bonding to the point that he thought of her as an older sister and vice versa.

"What happened?" She asked, immediately becoming the overprotective and caring friend that she was, worried that something bad happened.

Once he caught his breath, he retold the whole story and Felicity saw in his eyes the way he spoke about Thea; how although she hadn't even acknowledged him (maybe he didn't even realize) he was in love with the girl that he spilled his coffee on.

Little did he know he had the same effect on her as she had on him.

About an hour after she got home, she had showered and washed the coffee smell off her. She was now lying in bed with some comfortable sweats and the remote for the TV on the other side of her room as she watched a soap opera to clear her head. She was still trying to piece everything together when there was a knock on the door, followed by her brother sticking his head inside and calling her by her childhood nickname.

"Speedy, you never came back down once you went up, so I came to make sure that everything was okay." He said softly as he slowly made his way over to her and took a seat on the bed. "What happened?" Oliver was very protective of her, so he was worried when she came home, wet and mad, unsure of what had happened. Thankfully, she told him everything(with a little prodding on his part), but what he saw in her eyes as she spoke about the tall, mysterious stranger was a look of someone in love; something he had yet to see in him and Laurel.

It had been almost a week since the two opposites crossed paths, yet a day didn't go by that they didn't cross the other's minds. At least Roy had some idea of the girl he couldn't stop thinking about, while Thea was left to dreaming of the stranger that caused the mess, only to save her from it.

Today was the Annual Kings and Queens Masquerade Ball, hosted every year by the Queen family, inviting everyone from partners and possible clients to the people who worked in their factories, except most of them didn't attend as they couldn't afford it. Thea always looked forward to this one party because she got to dress up and have fun, except this year it was almost as if she forgot about it. She'd been spending so much time in her room lately that Oliver was worried, wondering what he could do to help; so to his best efforts, he decided to help her get excited for the night, starting from the minute she woke up.

Roy had done his best to focus on work and school and anything really, but he couldn't shake the girl that haunted his mind. Thea Queen. Yes, he would love to meet her again, but he knew that it could never happen because the two of them lived completely different lives. So he went about his usual routine, trying not to let it show that something (or someone) was on his mind. But when he stopped to think, it was obvious what was going through his head and Felicity saw it. So she decided to help her little 'brother.' That same day, about thirty minutes before the party started, she walked into his room, holding a mask and smiling.

"What are you doing?" He asked, worried and concerned as he recognized the mischievous smirk on her face; knowing what she was up to was probably not good.

"You're going out tonight." She replied and before he could even question her, let alone interrupt her, she continued. "I know how you've been obsessing over Thea…" She held her hand up to keep him from even wasting his breath in trying to argue otherwise. "So I'm going to help you see her again. Tonight is their big annual party and you're going. That's what the mask is for and I already got you in, so don't worry."

Roy took the mask from her and held it in his hands as he examined it, thinking to himself that it was pretty nice, wondering where she got it. He saw how happy she was to help him and once all his questions disappeared, he started to get excited that he would see her again, only to remember something very important. "I don't have anything to wear." He stated, looking down at the red hoodie that he wore everywhere and his jeans.

Felicity froze for a moment, her smile quickly fading. Suddenly, idea crossed her mind and she was out the door in seconds. A couple minutes later she returned, finding Roy looking sad as he stared at the mask in his hand. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the noise of Felicity coming in, and when he looked up, he noticed she was holding something covered by a plastic bag. She gently set it on his bed and ripped the plastic to reveal a suit. It wasn't very nice, but it was better than anything Roy ever owned, so he smiled, until he looked up at her, wondering why she had a man's suit.

"It was my dad's." She replied, quietly as she ran her hand against the fabric, before turning to look back at Roy. "But now it's yours, and before you try to argue, think of it as an early birthday present or something because I want you to have it, so you can wear it to meet her tonight."

He thanked her and began getting ready for a ball he never would have imagined going to in his wildest dreams; and yet there he was putting on a suit, all to meet with the girl he spilt his coffee on.

After a whole day of trying to get Thea excited, Oliver somehow managed to get her to go, despite her protests of not feeling well. This exactly is how Oliver Queen came to be standing alongside his best friend, Tommy Merlyn, and his dad as they awaited their dates. A couple minutes later, Thea descended the steps wearing a dark purple strapless dress, with her hair curled just right so that it fell perfectly on her shoulders. She had bought the gown weeks ago. Thea was followed by her mother in a green dress and shawl, then Laurel in a red dress with straps that were so small you could barely notice them. Normally, Oliver would escort his girlfriend and his longtime friend would escort Thea (since he was almost like a brother to her). But tonight were different circumstances, so he asked to trade places with Tommy, everyone understanding why as they all had noticed the change in Thea.

Once they got to the ball at eight o'clock, it had fully started and everyone was having fun; except for Thea, who was standing in a corner, annoyed and sneaking food off every tray that passed by her, not even caring what anyone thought or said, wanting nothing more than the night to end.

Roy had finally finished getting ready, with the help of Felicity, who had to do some minor last-minute sewing things to get the suit to fit, but at eight thirty, she was pulling up to the party destination in her old beat-up station wagon.

"Remember I'll be back here at twelve to come get you because you have the early shift at work." She said, glancing at an obviously nervous Roy in the passenger seat. As much as Felicity wanted to give him more time, she couldn't because he'd be fired if he was late again and it was the only job he could get in the Glades. He looked at her with a small smile and nodded, yet it was almost as if he was staring right past her, ready to see Thea. "Okay, here's your invitation. Now go and get out of here!" She said, playfully as she kissed his cheek then quickly wiped it off before giving him the paper that would get him inside.

He slowly got out and made his way inside, both surprised and fascinated by the music, noise, and people around him. Everyone was wearing masks, while the women wore nice dresses and the men wore suits. Roy started to get nervous as he realized that he couldn't tell who was who, not that he would know anyone there, but he wondered how he was going to find Thea.

She was getting ready to ditch the party, when something (or someone) caught her eye. It was a man who looked to be about her age, but was definitely taller and, even though he wore a gold mask with a suit, something seemed off about him; almost as if he didn't belong. She noticed his eyes underneath his mask and could have sworn that she'd seen them before, but then she'd met so many people in her lifetime, it could be anyone.

Roy had made his way further inside and continued to search for her. Soon he spotted Mr. and Mrs. Queen on the dance floor without their masks; maybe if he was lucky, none of the hosts had masks and Thea would be among the few recognizable people. He looked around until he spotted her in a corner, eating something she grabbed off a tray and looking bored as if this was the last place she wanted to be tonight, but he didn't come this far to back out; so mustering up all his courage he had, Roy walked over to her.

"Can I have this dance?" A voice behind her brought her back to reality as was searching the crowds for the mysterious stranger, whom she had now lost sight of.

"Listen..." She said, turning to face the owner of the voice, annoyed that he was hitting on her, ready to give him a long reason as to why she should be left alone, but the minute she saw who it was, she forgot everything and her jaw dropped. The handsome stranger she had spotted earlier was now the one asking her to dance. She wondered what brought him to her since she was technically just another girl in the room. Quietly, unable to say anything or think straight, she nodded and closed her mouth before responding as she gently placed her hand in his. "Yes."

Oliver had lost track of Thea because he was busy dancing and spending time with his girlfriend, but when Laurel said she needed to use the bathroom and left him alone, he decided to scan the crowd for his sister. He finally caught sight of Thea in the middle of the dance floor with some stranger. Oliver didn't like random guys hitting on his baby sister, but this once seemed different. For one thing, he had somehow managed to get an annoyed Thea laughing as if the world depended on it. Oliver smiled to himself, before realizing that his date had never come back. He looked around and couldn't see her anywhere, so he decided to look for her, heading in the direction of the bathroom, only to come to a stop as he rounded the corner. There was Laurel and Tommy making out.

Thea and Roy began to dance but it didn't last very long when she realized he had no idea what he was doing, which, on the bright side, got her to laugh in a way she hadn't done in a while; so she settled for taking a walk with him. At the back of the building, there was a big fancy garden with a beautiful fountain in the middle. There were a few people out there, some couples, some friends, some loners needing a cigarette break, but it was relatively quiet and nice to be away from the crowds. The two began walking and talking as if they had known each other their whole lives instead only for thirty minutes.

It had all happened so fast, that he didn't even know what to think. One minute he was searching for his girlfriend and the next he was rounding the corner to find Laurel kissing his best friend. He must have gasped or something because the two pulled away and looked at him with surprised faces. They began rambling on about what had happened, but Oliver wasn't thinking straight at the moment; he just wanted to get out of there. Later he would come to realize that Tommy and Laurel looked at each other the same way Thea looked had when she spoke of the mystery boy that spilled coffee on her; of course, Oliver wondered if he would find that himself someday.

Hours and hours went by, yet to the young couple it had felt like merely minutes because they were only beginning to get to know each other. Near the end of their walk they reached the fountain and the two sat down, looking at the moon as they talked. The next thing Thea knew, the lips of the so-familiar stranger were on her's. At first she was ready to push him away, then she realized how nice it felt as they touched and instead leaned into it as she let her fingers make their way into his hair.

All of a sudden, the clock struck twelve and the mysterious stranger pulled away from her in a hurry.

"I have to go!" He said, standing up.

Thea reached out for him and grabbed his wrist. "Wait! I don't even know your name!"

He was gone before she could finish her sentence and she knew she wouldn't catch up to him; defeated, she rested her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. She got up, deciding to leave when she noticed something in the fountain. It was a phone; his phone. She reached into the water and pulled it out, holding it carefully in her hands as if it were made of glass and would break at the slightest touch. The phone was wet and broken, but there was one message on the screen, that read: 'Its midnight. Where are you?' It was from someone named Felicity, making her wonder if maybe this stranger already had a girlfriend and this was just the one night he could cheat. Thea had to know the truth, so she slipped the phone in her purse and walked out of the party.

Roy ran out of the party, down the street to where Felicity was supposed to be, but she wasn't. He looked for his phone, but it wasn't in his pocket. 'Dammit.' He thought. 'I must have left it behind.' He looked at the clock on the building and saw it was 12:10. There was no way he could go back and get it without running into Thea, plus he had to walk home now, which would take a while. About fifty minutes later, Roy reached their apartment, his clothes dirty and ripped from the walk through the Glades, the only thing still in one piece was the mask around his neck. Tired, he walked to his bedroom and set the mask down before collapsing on the bed. He quickly drifted off the moment his head hit the pillow, and for the first time in a while, he had a good night's sleep with dreams of Thea running through his head.

Oliver's car was in the driveway when Thea got home, making her wonder what he was doing here, instead of at Laurel's place where he spent most nights. She knew something was wrong when she walked in the door and heard him beating the punching bag in the downstairs gym. Slowly, she made her way towards the sound and found him dripping in sweat as he attacked the poor bag. She wondered what was wrong when she noticed that his hands weren't wrapped and he seemed mad.

"Ollie?" She asked in a quiet voice, not wanting to startle him. "Is everything okay?"

He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her, trying to catch his breath as he wiped the sweat off his face with a nearby towel. Oliver contemplated for a couple moments, before deciding to tell her everything. The two siblings ended up spending the rest of the night in his room, discussing their love lives and their dilemmas.

"So I should go to the IT department and see if they can help me?" She asked. Her brother just nodded in response.

After showering and changing it a fresh pair of clothes, Thea got in her car and started towards Queen's Consolidated, hoping that they could find out who the phone belonged to. Once in the building, she made her way to the bottom floor, where the IT department was, before finding someone to help her. They said that it might be a longshot, but the only person who could work the magic on the phone would be their best, Ms. Smoak. Thea slowly walked towards the room, before opening the door and stepping inside, only to find a bunch of computers and a blonde, (obviously of the bottle variety) with thick-rimmed glasses and bright clothes.

"Excuse me, Ms. Smoak?" She asked in a quiet voice, still not sure if this was a good idea.

Felicity had left for work early and hadn't had a chance to ask Roy how it went, so she was definitely surprised when Thea Queen walked into her office. Immediately standing up, she straightened her outfit and fixed her glasses. "What can I do for you, Ms. Queen?"

"Call me Thea, please." Felicity nodded and waited to see what the younger girl wanted. "I met someone last night at the ball and they left before I could get their name, but they dropped their phone in the water. It seems to be broken, but I was hoping someone could find out who it belongs to and everyone here said that if it's possible, you'd be the one to do it."

Felicity could see the hint of hope and sadness in Thea's eyes; she felt bad for the girl, yet she wondered what she could do. On one hand, this was practically her boss, but on the other, Roy had feelings for Thea and she wasn't sure if he would ever forgive her if she helped the girl he liked find another guy. "Let me see what I can do."

The biggest smile you'd ever seen on Thea's face appeared as she handed Felicity the phone, before looking around the room, only to spot a picture frame of Felicity and the guy who spilled coffee on her at what seemed like his graduation. Maybe this wasn't a good idea, she began to wonder, when she spotted a name plate on the girl's desk, which said the girl's name was Felicity. 'Shit.' Did that mean the guy she danced with was the same guy who spilled his coffee on her and this was his girlfriend, but she did seem a little older, unless he liked that sort of thing.

Felicity looked at the phone and immediately realized it was the one she gave Roy for his 19th birthday about a month ago. The screen was frozen on a message from her; that's when all the pieces started clicking into place.

She looked up, surprised to see a look of hurt on Thea's face.

"I got to go." The younger girl said as she started for the door, but Felicity stopped her.

'Wait… I know what you're thinking and it's wrong. Let me explain. Please." She practically begged because she knew that Roy would be heartbroken if Thea never spoke to him again, especially because of a silly misunderstanding.

Thea was reluctant at first, but eventually gave in and nodded. "Five minutes."

Felicity was glad she could at least explain, so she began rambling on about what happened, starting from the day he spilled coffee on her, to last night, to how they knew each other. After her explanation, Thea seemed a little relieved and maybe happy, so Felicity spoke up. "He should be finished with work now. If you want I can take you to him."

She considered it for a moment before nodding, not wanting to miss her chance with Roy. They get into Felicity's car and start towards the apartment. Realizing she would need a ride back, she texted Oliver the address and the reason why. Once they get to the apartment, Felicity opens the door and Thea immediately sees Roy with his back to them as he is on the couch, watching TV. Slowly, she makes her way over to him, before speaking up in a soft voice.

"I never got to thank you."

"For what?" Roy asks confused as he looks over and sees Thea, causing him to immediately freeze up as she sheepishly hands him his dead phone, before taking a seat next to him.

"For catching me, Roy." She says his name and it's foreign yet familiar to her lips for some strange reason.

Felicity was standing in the doorway watching as the young couple talked when Oliver appeared beside her, leaning against the opposite doorframe. She had a small smile on her face as she looked at the two, while Oliver, the ever disapproving brother, had his arms crossed over his chest and a slight frown.

"Aren't you happy for them?" Felicity asked, never one to have a filter on her mouth as she glanced at Oliver.

A little taken aback by her comment, it took him a minute to recover before speaking. "No…" He says, bluntly and to the point, shocking Felicity, but when he sees the look on her face, he realizes he said the wrong thing. "I mean, she's my little sister." He saw the way the two looked at each other, the same way Laurel and Tommy looked at one another and a way he never looked at anyone. "I am happy for them. I just think she's a little young to look at someone like that because even I haven't gotten to that point yet." He's shocked that he just said that but something about her made him feel comfortable enough to tell her. "I'm Oliver Queen, by the way." He added, deciding to change the subject.

"I know." She stops for a moment as she registers the shocked expression on his face. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm not a stalker or anything. It's just that you and your family are all over the television and newspaper. Plus, I work for your dad's company and… I'm sorry. I'm rambling again. I have a tendency to do that sometimes. I don't know why. I've done this since I was younger. I'm doing it again, aren't I?" He nodded with a small smile, finding it cute that she did that and already intrigued by her honesty. "Three, two, one. I'm Felicity Smoak." She said, introducing herself.

"I know." He replies with a small smirk as he turns his attention back to Thea and Roy on the couch. "You're the IT girl for Queen's Consolidated."


End file.
